KAPAHULU — Sometimes it takes George Waialeale five minutes — though it feels longer — to get out of his condo's parking lot on Kapahulu Avenue.

Traffic has only gotten worse in the 29 years he's lived in the area.

And with Safeway opening its 13th store on O'ahu right across the street from where he lives, Waialeale is bracing for the worst.

"I can just imagine what it's going to be like when it opens, with traffic as bad as it is," said Waialeale, 59. "This is going to be a problem."

Construction on the new Safeway and retail complex on busy Kapahulu Avenue is in full swing, with plans to complete the 78,000-square-foot center by November.

The supermarket chain's 13th store on O'ahu will spread over more than 60,000 square feet, making it the largest Safeway in the state.

The remaining 14,500 square feet will be occupied by 14 other retailers, which have not been announced yet.

In anticipation of potential traffic congestion, Safeway plans to widen a portion of Kapahulu Avenue to include a turn lane and install a traffic signal at 'Olu Street and Kapahulu Avenue.

"There has been some concern about the traffic," said Steve Berndt, director of real estate for Safeway.

"Our study indicates that this won't be a problem, but you never know."

Two years ago, the company scrapped plans to build a gas station after community members protested the potential traffic jams it might cause. Safeway hopes to fill a void in the area, now down to two supermarkets — Foodland in Market City Shopping Center and Times Super Market on Wai'alae Avenue — after Star Market in Kahala Mall closed in March.

"This is a densely populated part of town that we don't serve well," Berndt said. "We've been watching this site for about 20 years ... It's totally exciting."

The new Safeway will be in the company's new "lifestyle" format — like those in Hawai'i Kai and Kapolei — with wood floors, a bakery and deli, and an expanded gourmet section.

It will also feature a Starbucks inside — the first one paired with a Safeway in the Islands.

The center will include a 300-square-foot meeting room that will be available for community groups to use.

This new retail complex has replaced an aging strip mall that housed small restaurants and shops, a nail salon, a video rental store and a post office.

While Waialeale isn't happy about the possible increase in traffic congestion on Kapahulu Avenue, he can't deny the convenience of having a full-service supermarket next door.

"Sure, it's going to be convenient and my wife likes Safeway," said Waialeale, who shops at Foodland and Costco. "It's going to be a good place ... But everybody is going to start grumbling about the traffic and it's going to be too late already. The cement will have hardened."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.